Machine for pulling treads from tires and for separating plys of fabric



Jan. 30, 1923. 7 1,443,495

B. E. MAXWELLv MACHINE FOR PULLING TREADS FROM TIRES AND FOR SEPARATING PLYS OF Heme FILED Nov. 18. I920,

II G 48 INVENTOR .Berl E Maxwell A TTORNE Y 'ings, in which" I Patented Jan. 30, 1 923.

m re stares erer crates BERT MAXWELL, or wionnra, Kansas.

MACHINE non P LLrNe 'rnnans anon Trans Ann roasnraaarme r Ys on FABRIC.

Application filed November 18,1920. Serial No. 424,933.

To all whom itmag concern Be it known that 1, Bear E. MAXWELL, a citizen oi theUnited States, and resident of \Vichita, in the county of Sedgwicl: and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for Pulling Treads from Tires and for Separating Plys of Fabric, oil which l'lGdiilOl'l. v

' My invention relates the following is a specito a machine for pulling treads from tires and for separating plys of fabric, inorder to use the'detreaded portions of the tires for reliners Heretofore this operaor other purposes. tion has been performed by hand, requiring 'usually two men, one to hold the inner p01 tion of the tire, the other to hold the" tread portion, and pulling inopposite directions to tearthe said parts of the tire apart.

My machine for this purpose is automatic, and requiresonly one attendant.

The preferred embodiment of-the invention is shown in the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is atop plan view, omitting a brace 9, a portion of the pulley being show the arrangement of the gearing through which the teed rollers are actuated; Fig. 4 is a diagram'showing'how a cut tireis split in; layers by the traction of the rollers, Fig. 5' is an enlarged detail view of anyoi the four adjustable journal boxes; Fig. 6 is a cross section of any one otthe tour teed rollers.

Referring more in detail to the parts; The frame comprises a horizol'ltal" U shaped frame 1, 5, 2,, of which the arms 1, 2 lare parallel and integral with an inner end of'pedes'tal 5. Pedestal. 5 is integral. with an annular bracket consisting of a ver-v tical plate 3 and a horizontal plate 41;. Both plates 3, 4 are secured by screws to a bench, and the :machineoverhangs to alto-rd space for the tires operated on to therefrom. The inner pedestal 5 supports a standard 6. Asimilar post 7 is'either integral with plated or is bolted tothebench at 8'. A horizontal bar 9 is secured to the tops of posts 6, l7 and connects themas a brace, passing over the pulleylO.

The frame further comprises two horizontal tie-bars 12, 13) One end of each tiebar is secured to an end of inner pedestal 5 by two cap screws 14:- The outer end of one tie-bar 12 is rigidly secured a pedestal r t lo the outer end of the'other 131G" 1.516. bar 13 rigidly secured a pedestal 17-18. r v I the inner ends oii said pedestals are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a gap tire at the for the insertion of an uncut outer end of the machine.

r I 9 l The frame iurther comprises at the outer fond of the machine a lower connecting bar 19 and an upper connecting bar 20, and a movable pedestal 21. mg bar 2( is pivoted on a pin 22 held by lug 23 on pedestal 15--16. In this bar 20 are two vertical slots, one to 1 receive the outer end of tie bar13, on a "pin 25'. In this connecting bar are two vertical slots, to receive two depending lugs 26, 27, the former being a part of connectingbar12, theglatter a part of movable pedestal 21.

When pins 28, 29, 30, 31 are inserted in holes through the connecting "bars and through the lugswhich enter the aforesaid slots, the free ends of the connecting bars are rigidly supported, and the movable pedestal 21 is also rigidly supported, allas "shown vonFig. 2. The said pins are loose enoughin the holes to be easily removable.

Outer journal bloclis 31, 32 are slidable in slots in the upper parts of pedestals 15, 17. In these blocks are gudgeons 33, 34 of two rollers 35, 36. Shafts 3T, 38 on the op" posite ends of said rollers are journalled in blocks slidable in slots in the inner pedestal 5, which is integral.

l/lovements of the outer journal blocks 31, 32 are effected by hand-wheels 39 -etO on screws 11, 42 threaded through the pedestals. Corresponding movements of the innor journal-blocks of rollers 35, 36 are effected by hand-wheels 43, 4% on screws 1-5, 4:6 threaded through pedestal 5. V

The details of each of the four journalblocks' are shownby Fig. 5, in which 47 indicates a collar fastened in the screw 41 by pin 48, the end of the screw, abut-s on spring cap 49 which fits into a short helical spring 50 seated in a recess in the blocks The upper connectroller journalled in the hole 52 is forced in direction of arrow.

Keyed on the inner end shaft of roller 35 is a double staggered gear 53, having large teeth like those of wringer gears. A similar double gear 55, keyed on the inner shaft 38 of roller 36.

Referring now to Fig. 2 :the movable pedestal 21 has a bearing for gudgeon 5d of a roller 56, a companion to roller 35. The other arbor or end shaft 56' of roller 56 is of course journalled in pedestal and is extended to receive a spur-gear 57 in addition to a double staggered gear meshii'ig the gear 53 of roller35. i The fourth roller a companion to roller 36,11as its gudgeon 6O journalled in the inner end of pedestal 18, and its inner end shaft 59 journaled in pedestal 5 and extended to carry a double staggered gear 61 and a spur,

gear 62, the latter of the same diameter a spur gear 57 and meshing therewith. Also keyed on shaft 59 is a large spur gear 63. A shaft 64 journaled in POStSi'G, 7, carries a drive pinion 66, a clutch 67, 68, and a loose pulley. Pinion 66 meshes with gear 63. Clutch member 67 is pinnedon the shaft, while clutch member 68 is a part of the hub ofthe pulley, which is longitudinally slidable. Motion for throwing theclutch is imparted through a-lever 69, fulcrumed at 70 on a fixed lug 71, and having a pivot connection 72 with any suitable device for shift ing the hub of the pulley to close and open the clutch. I i

, 'All parts of the machine but the feed rollers have now been described.

Each of said rollers has cut or cast therein a large number of circumferentialgrooves 73. The lands 74: between the grooves ar each corrugated as indicated by lines 7 6 on Fig.1; the corrugations being longitudinal to the roller or transverse to the lands. The rollers of each pair are so set that the lands of each register with the grooves of the other roller. The outside rollers 35, 36 are of course pressed against the companion rollerswhen the hand screws are turned up sufficiently to partly compress the springs.

Operations.-To start the operation on an uncut, (endless) tire. I first cut the base beads from the tire. Next I make transverse incision through the tread only, or, in some cases, through the tread and one layer of fabric also; then peel off one end of the tread (or tread and fabric) to a length of about four inches or more, I nextremove pins 28, 29, turn back the bar 20-011 its pivot .22, thus freeing the upper end of pedestal 21; remove pins 30, 31and pull down bar 19 on its pivot 25, thus freeing the lower end of pedestal 21. There is thus formed an aperture on each side of said pedestal.

The pressure upon the outer rollers is relaxed by turning the hand-wheels reversely,

and further turning draws the outer roller 35, 36 away from the inner rollers.

The tire is flattened at one point and is inserted through one gap and between rollers 35, 36; also inserted through the gap at the right of pedestal 21. Bars 19, 20 are then replaced and fastened by their pins. The

tire is now disposed like the part a on Fig. 4;.

The flap of the tread is now inserted between rollers 59, 36 like the part b. The rollers are then tensioned-up by turning up the hand-wheels.

Pulley 10 being driven in the direction of the dart on '3 the clutch is closed. The pair of rollers 35,, 56 pull the inner portion of the tire down between them, while the pair of rollers 59, 36 pull the outer portion of the tire down between them at the same rate of motion. 1 The corrugations grip the parts so that slipping is'imposible and the outer and inner parts of the tire are thus torn apart. I i i The inner port-ion'is then available as a reliner for tires.

In some cases I cut the tire clear through before splitting it. This makes it unnecessary to open up the machine in the manner above described, as the separated ends. of the inner and outer layers can be inserted between the feed-rollers from above.

The double staggered gearingremains in mesh at all times while the machine is in operation, even when the rollers are forced outward by the thicker portions of a tire tread or the inside layers.

It is not deemed necessary to show on the drawings oil holes or oil cups for journal lubrication. u r Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a tire splitting machine, a support ing frame, pedestal bearings in said frame for the end shafts and gudgeons of four feeding rollers arranged on coacting pairs, one end of theframebeing formed with two apertures adapted topermit the insertion of an endless tire between the pairs of rollers and between the rollers of one pair; and means for simultaneously driving both pairs of rollers through the medium of a spur gear wheel on the shaft of one of the rollers.

2. In a tire splitting machine, a supporting frame, pedestal bearings in said frame for the end shafts and gudgeons of four feeding rollers arranged in coacting pairs, one end of the frame being formed with two apertures adapted to permit the insertion of an endless tire between the pairs of rollers and between the rollers of one pair; movable frame members normally barring said apertures in order to support one of the bearings, fastening pins for said movable frame members, and means for simultaneously driving both pairs of rollers through the medium of a spur gear Wheel on the shaft of one of the rollers.

3. In a tire splitting machine, a support-- ing frame comprising pedestal bearings; two pairs, of feeding rollers journaled in said bearings, one end of the frameeomprising outside pedestals 15-16 and 1718; an arm 20, pivoted on one of said pedestals and having-two slots therein, an arm 19 piV- oted on the other pedestal and having two slots therein, fastening lugs 24 and 26 on said pedestals, an intermediate bearingpieoe 21 supported in slots in said arms 19,

20, and fastening pins passed through registered holes in said arms, lugs andends of piece 21, tor bracing said pedestals and supportn'ig sald bearing-piece 2.1..

4.- In a tire splitting machine, a feeding rollerhaving a plurality of narrow grooves cut ciroumferentially therein, and the lands between said grooves being 'oorrugated for gripping a strip or ring of combined rubher and abric in coaction with a similar roller. H

5. In a tire splitting machine, a pair of coacting feeding rollers, each roller having a series of annular grooves out therein, the lands between said grooves being corrugated transversely, and the rollers being adjusted -Wltl1 the lands of each registered With the grooves of the other.

BERT E. MAXWELL. W'it-nesses: I

M. Y. CHARLEs, W. A. NETHERCOT. 

